ARIZONA TOURISM

Doug Ducey

Debbie Johnson

Stephanie Liegeois

And while Greater Phoenix and Arizona holistically and naturally attract business travelers, the magnitude of conferences and events is largely due to targeted tourism efforts.

Deborah Ostreicher

Megan Trummel

David A. Twigger

UNIQUE ADVENTURES AND OPPORTUNITIES Regardless of why visitors come to Arizona — business, leisure or both — they are taking advantage of the abundance of hospitality, entertainment and recreational activities. We know GROUP EFFORT this through the $62 million Arizona’s visitors spent per day in “The Arizona Office of Tourism and the individual convention 2017. and visitors bureaus coordinate to educate, inform and drive The 44 million people who visited Arizona in 2017 helped our meetings and events industry, providing a number of spread economic prosperity throughout the local entertainment, opportunities,” says Stephanie Liegeois, Bon Appetit general recreational, and hospitality sectors. manager at the Musical Instrument Museum. “There is much Data demonstrates that out-of-state baseball enthusiasts spend comradery amongst our cities. We are all on the same page when upwards of $373 million throughout the Valley during Cactus it comes to driving the tourism industry and making Arizona a League season. Similarly, the Final Four hosted by State Farm top destination.” Stadium drew 60,000 out-of-state sports fans who stayed an And the cities also benefit from the collaborative approach. average of 4.16 nights and spent close to $500 per day each. Johnson points out that nearly $2 billion of the tax revenue Perhaps not surprising, because of the state’s nearly perfect generated by tourism in 2017 benefited state and local weather, Arizona attracts a large percentage of golfers and is governments. Tourism-related tax collections at the city and among the Top 5 golf destinations in the country. With 300-plus county level increased 14 percent over the previous year, while golf courses and close to 100 golf events scheduled throughout a tourism-related state tax collections were up 9 percent. calendar year, including charity, opens, and championships, it’s “These are tax dollars that pay the salaries of teachers and easy to see why. police officers, and fund the upkeep of parks, infrastructure, Then, of course, there are unique venues to visit and experience, spring-training stadiums and youth-sports programs,” such as The Phoenix Symphony, Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Johnson says. Museum, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Ballet Arizona and MIM. In other words, success in the tourism sectors breeds success “MIM is the world’s only global musical instrument museum,” across the board. Liegeois says, “delighting and inspiring guests with more than “If you don’t have large revenue producing meetings and events, 6,500 instruments and musical traditions from every corner then you don’t have the revenue to put back into tourism items of the globe. The Music Theater hosts 300 performances a year, and infrastructure,” adds David A. Twigger, creative director and bringing the galleries to life with exceptional performances of all founder of Vermilion Events and Design Group. “To quote one genres and types of music. It’s been called the best theater of its of my favorite Disney movies, it is our own little, ‘circle of life.’ size in the country.” Arizona understands this.” While business attendees, sports fans and vacationers take Contributions recirculated into Arizona’s tourism advantage of unique destinations and attractions, they have more infrastructure should remain plentiful with the uptick in regional than 160 hotels and resorts in the Valley from which to choose. and national economic health, but there is simply no shortage of “Arizona has some of the most unique and breathtaking nature events to be had. experiences in the country,” Twigger says. “From desert hikes to “Large events like the Waste Management Phoenix Open, red rock meditations to snow skiing, it is all here. And nightlife Barrett Jackson, the M3 Music Festival and large arena sporting — we have chic nightclubs, neighborhood bars with live music, an events, combined with an abundance of the country’s best inspiring art scene and the hippest hipster festival scene. I dare hotels and resorts, is such an incredible draw for high-profile someone to come to Arizona and not find something to do.” companies,” Twigger notes. 62

AB | May - June 2019